Alexander Samokhvalov was born on August 21, 1894 in Bezhetsk, Tver province. In 1923 he graduated from Petrograd VKHUTEIN (known as the Ilya Repin Institute since 1944), a student of Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. He was engaged with Vasily Belyaev, Hugo Zaleman, Vasily Shukhaev. Participation in exhibitions since 1914 and in 1917 he took part in the exhibition of the Mir iskusstva. Member of associations of artists "CIRCLE" (1926-1929), "OCTOBER" (1930-1932). Member of the Leningrad Union of Artists since 1932. He was engaged in a poster, sculpture, monumental and easel painting, arts and crafts, illustrated books. The leading theme of creativity is the image of modern youth.The author of the picture "Girl in a T-shirt" (1932). Laureate of Grand Prix diplomas and gold medals of international Parisian exhibitions (1925, 1937). Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1967). From 1948 to 1951, Samokhvalov taught in the monumental painting department at the Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named Vera Mukhina, and he authored a memoir titled «My Way of Creation» (1977),«At the Time of Restless Sun» (1996). Personal exhibitions in Leningrad (1963), Petersburg (1994) and Tver (1994). The works of Alexander Samokhvalov are in the State Russian Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, in the largest museums and private collections in Russia, Italy, Britain, France, the USA and other countries.